1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a tool, which may assume a hammer-like shape, primarily structured to size and/or shape an object, such as a jewelry object, being mounted on a mandrel. The tool includes a head having a base and a striking member and an alignment member connected to the base in cooperative relation to one another so as to concurrently and movably engage the mandrel, during a striking procedure, in a manner which disposes a striking surface of the striking member in a predetermined operative orientation relative to the object being struck, at least during the striking procedure.
2. Description of the Related Art
As commonly designed and structured, finger rings normally include a closed, fixed configuration made available to the consuming public in commonly accepted and/or standard sizes corresponding to the size of the average adult and/or child finger. However, in many circumstances it is desirable to increase the size of the ring.
Finger rings usually have a constant thickness shank portion, wherein the size of the ring may be determined by placing it on a rigid material mandrel. As is well-recognized in the jewelry profession, sizing mandrels have a generally elongated configuration with a tapered, converging exterior surface configuration extending from an inner, proximal end to an outer or distal end. Mounting on the ring over the mandrel allows it to easily pass down the length thereof until it becomes obstructed by the interior portions of the ring engaging the exterior surfaces of the mandrel corresponding to the size of the ring.
For many reasons and under various circumstances, finger rings are frequently expanded or enlarged such that they may be comfortably fitted onto a finger which is at least somewhat larger than that originally intended for the ring when manufactured. Rings are commonly expanded using a similar type mandrel as set forth above. More specifically, using a generally cooperatively configured mandrel, rings may be expanded by placing them on the mandrel and forcing the rings down along the length thereof onto a portion thereof having a greater transverse dimension. In accomplishing such enlargement, a shaping tool is used to apply pressure to the upper or outer peripheral portions of the ring. The pressure applied by the tool should be sufficient to force the ring down to the larger portions of the mandrel. However, the force applied to the ring should not be such as to cause exterior surface markings or other structural damage to the ring during the enlargement process.
Similarly, there are a number of jewelry items or objects, such as, but not limited to, bracelets, earrings, etc. which also are structured to initially have a closed, fixed and/or continuous peripheral configuration. It is also known that such additional jewelry items or objects may be enlarged or expanded in a similar or substantially equivalent manner, using an appropriately configured mandrel, as set forth above.
Therefore, common to the practice of enlarging finger rings, bracelets, and a variety of other jewelry objects is the mounting thereof on a mandrel having an exterior surface which substantially conforms to the interior peripheral configuration of the jewelry object being shaped. By way of example only, the typical finger ring sizing mandrel, of the type set forth above, may have a continuous, circular, exterior surface configuration extending along at least a majority of the length thereof. In contrast, bracelets and other jewelry items may have interior peripheral configurations which are oval, multi-sided or other known and commonly available configurations. As such, the exterior surface of the mandrel used to size and/or shape a given jewelry item must substantially correspond to the interior peripheral configuration of the object being processed.
Absent a matching of the configurations of the mandrel and the jewelry item, a distortion of the jewelry item may easily occur when the force is applied to exposed portions of the jewelry item being processed. Accordingly, the application of a pressure or force to exposed portions of the ring, bracelet or other jewelry item being sized is important. In addition to the amount of force applied to the jewelry object, the orientation of the striking surface of a shaping tool relative to the portion of the jewelry object being struck is also important.
Therefore, there is a need in the jewelry arts for a striking or shaping tool, which includes structural and operative features enabling the effective determination of a predetermined operative orientation of the striking surface of the tool, with the jewelry object being sized. The establishment of a correct or predetermined “operative orientation” facilitates the elimination or of deformation or other type damage being done to the jewelry item being struck. In light of the above, a proposed striking or sizing tool intended to overcome the disadvantages of the type set forth above should include structural features, on at least the head of the tool, which automatically accomplishes the establishment of a preferred operative orientation of the striking tool or striking surface of the tool head relative to the mandrel mounted object being shaped.